Newburgh-on-ythan

We discovered Newburgh almost by accident whist driving in the area around Trump Aberdeen in the search for a good local pub. This is a very interesting course with some good holes and lots of potential.

Newburgh-on Ythan started out as a 9 holer back in 1888 and it was not till 1996 that it became 18 holes. It is adjacent to the end of the dune system that runs along the shoreline from the nearby Trump links.

The front 9 is the newer of the two and is the least interesting and is not really links type in its feel. The holes are undulating but, after the par 4, 1st, not particularly memorable save for the uphill 4th where you negotiate a stone wall, 4 bunkers and out of bounds on the left. The course takes on a new dimension with a real feel of links golf from the 9th onwards. The 9th is an excellent downhill par 5 which dog-legs slightly left where gorse is a definite hazard.

There are some real fun holes on the flatter links land of the back 9 where you play right up to the sea inlet with the massive shifting sand dunes in the background. There is little or nothing in the way of fairway reticulation so you will get some nice firm bouncy fairways and some interesting natural mounds and swales. This is particularly so from the 11th to the 16th.

The 16th is a great little par 3 and the closing hole is a challenging par 5 that snakes it's way back to the clubhouse. The fairway is reasonably wide but thick gorse awaits you on either side and there is an area of broken ground just short of the green. Be warned, don't miss the green on the left side.

On a windy day you need to be diligent as a few fairways run rather close together. Newburgh is not expensive and well worth a game. Nice friendly atmosphere in a club that is largely staffed by volunteers. Unfortunately during out round we stuck a horrific squall that lasted about 30 minutes and rather spoiled the front 9 experience.